Spotify expands into apps to expand music service

NEW YORK 
Online music provider Spotify is adding free apps to its service to broaden its reach and expand what people can do with its vast trove of digital tunes.

Spotify Inc. said Wednesday that it is adding apps from Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines, Internet radio service Last.fm, and a slew of others. The Swedish company, which launched its service in the U.S. in July, is also letting developers build new Spotify apps, though it will vet each one.

At a launch event in New York City, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner called Spotify the "ultimate jukebox." With the apps, Spotify might be betting that it'll be more than that. That is, a music platform that people keep coming back to so they can share with friends, read reviews or find nearby concerts.

Spotify has 10 million active users, 2.5 million of whom pay for its service.